Black Nights and Scorching Fires
by W3ND1GO
Summary: The Galactic Empire holds its grip around the galaxy. A silent young Shadow Guard seeks to crush the beginnings of organized rebellion in the greater galaxy. But not all is as it seems, for the Empire's paranoia runs rampant throughout the higher ranks, and its days may be numbered. A safe M for violence, cursing and sexual themes.
1. The Guard

**Hello! This is one I've had in the back seat for a while, but perhaps it's time to unleash it.**

**I decided to take a focus on the Imperial Shadow Guard, an elite, Force-sensitive unit of agents loyal directly to the Emperor. The protagonist is a silent, nineteen-year-old Shadow Guard with a stronger Force sensitivity than most of his comrades.**

**M for violence, sexual themes and swearing. Nothing too bad, just being careful.**

* * *

><p>The cloaked warrior stepped out of his private Dagger-class light corvette, a rare model constructed by the private starship contractors of the Inquisitorius, with a design based after the True Sith Empire's Fury-class interceptor. A small droid crew operated the normally silent Imperial assassin's starship, which was currently docked in a private bay in the spaceport of Bestine city on the Outer Rim planet of Tatooine. He sent a silent coded transmission to the Inquisitorius, who ran this mission and requested the assistance of the Shadow Guard, of which the assassin was a part.<p>

The city was alive with Stormtroopers and mere Imperial Army soldiers bustling about, making business with the local merchants who dotted the streets. The alleys were occupied with suspicious individuals who dared not do their dirty dealings in the light of the binary suns; they were of no real consequence to the Empire, as nobody truly suspected them to be of any danger to anyone but their rivals and their customers. They were mere spice dealers making their fortunes on the addictions of others.

While Dark, the Shadow Guard who now stood in the Tatooine capital city, was waiting for a reply, a rare Twi'lek Imperial Army trooper walked past. Her lack of attention to the assassin was not a bother, as her noticeably active rear end caught his very special attention as she walked into the Imperial capitol building.

"Really, Dark?" Hydra, the short, blonde, pixie-cut-haired Grand Inquisitor of the great Galactic Empire interjected. "You know we can see everything you're looking at. So why don't you stop looking at disgusting alien girls and go meet the Moff."

Dark, of course, did not voice his disapproval at Hydra's xenophobia. Such beliefs were so widely spread throughout the Empire, that his dissent would be considered an anomaly. More of a problem, he would not speak except to other Shadow Guards (he was not allowed to speak to Darth Vader or the Emperor, the likes of which he took orders from, he was merely expected to obey), and not in the presence of any non-Guards.

The cloaked Shadow Guard moved through the streets of Bestine, the simple soldiers and stormtroopers in his path alike bowing as they moved several meters to whatever side they chose as he set one foot softly in front of the other, making his calm way to the compound in which all the Intelligence operations were held.

Today was a particularly breezy day in the desert city, normally unheard of on the world of ungodly heat. The Intelligence headquarters was housed just beside the capitol building, an unassuming annex of the capitol designed to draw as little attention as possible.

As the Force adept entered the building, he was greeted by two Imperial officers who bowed before leading him further into the compound where Moff Wain Zalander awaited. Zalander was a temporary replacement for Moff Alexander Julstan, who was on Imperial Center, working with Intelligence and the ISB to put together an agenda of future Arkanis Sector operations. The replacement Moff was a human female in her late twenties, with blond hair tied tightly behind her head beneath her officer's cap. Her black uniform hugged snugly around her skin, showing off her attractive form. Dark looked her up and down, appreciating her figure before approaching the table at which Zalander and an Imperial Inquisitor hunched over, discussing the details of the operation for which Dark would be primary agent.

The Inquisitor faced upwards first, to notice the newcomer. "Moff Zalander, our guest is here."

As the Moff stood up straight, the Inquisitor made introductions. "Sir, this is the Shadow Guard the Inquisitorius commissioned; code-named 'Dark.' He will be our primary agent for this operation. Do not concern over his skills, they are unrivaled."

The governor bent at the waist in a bow, awaiting the Guard's response. Dark bent slightly in response, acknowledging his authority over the Moff. The Inquisitor continued. "My friend, I am Raolis Unthor. I am the Inquisitor presiding over this operation. My wonderful ally here is Moff Wain Zalander, as I am sure you've heard all about. Emperor knows she's heard much about you."

The Shadow Guard did not speak, a silent implication that Unthor should move on to business, and so he did. The Inquisitor was fairly short, slightly shorter than both Dark and Moff Zalander. His hair was dark, somewhere between brown and black, and his robes were black with violet trim. His skin was fair, but weathered from years of Imperial wrath raining down upon the Jedi and Rebels that he had damned to their demise.

Unthor began the briefing in short order. "Your mission is simple. An Alderaanian family in hiding to escape the Empire's wrath has holed up in a small compound in the Dune Sea. By name they are House Alde. They are known to fund local insurrections and are compatriots of the Organa family. We intend to cripple the Organa family, through the obliteration of the Alde family."

Dark stood silent, insisting that his objectives be stated. Unthor received this message and stated the single objective of the operation. "Simply go, eliminate all the members of House Alde and decimate their protectors. Show them that the Empire does not forgive."

With a bow that was mirrored by both the Moff and the Inquisitor, the Shadow Guard left the Intelligence headquarters and tread on to his objective.

Once present before the Rebel outpost, he stood and awaited confrontation. Two Alde guards approached, clad in desert-color uniforms reminiscent of the ones later used by the Rebels in their defense of Echo Base on Hoth.

"Identify yourself!" one shouted at a distance of nearly ten meters. The other punched him in the shoulder as the clarity of the situation appeared.

"You idiot! That's an Imperial Shadow Guard!" the second trooper said, chastising his compatriot. "We're all dead!"

"What?" the other replied. "He just looks like an average Royal Guard to me. Besides, he's just one man! What can he do to an entire platoon of Alde troopers?"

"You don't understand!" the obviously more anxious trooper responded. "He's a Force user that can destroy us all!" The paranoid trooper then turned tail and ran, in the direction of the Jundland Wastes. Dark ignored him. He came for the Aldes.

The soldier cursed his comrade and fired upon the invader. In one swift movement, Dark flipped his cloak behind him to reveal his armor, and drew his lightsaber pike, spinning it round, activating the blade just in time and in just the right place to deflect the blaster bolt back to the trooper's weapon, disabling it. He then jumped using the Force, driving his feet into the shoulders of the trooper and using them as a jumping point. Over the walls of the compound he vaulted, where he was swarmed by guards. Swinging his pike he cut down the two closest. One charged him, attempting to smack him with the butt of his rifle. He flipped the trooper over his back, and finished him. He jumped into the main compound where the Aldes were housed as another wave of troopers swarmed him. He sealed the entrance behind him, allowing him to work.

Two Alde lords rose. One shouted. "Who do you think you are? We are Lords of House Alde! You have no right to-" The lord fell after being disposed of by the blade of Dark's lightsaber pike. The second one shouted in protest, but was quickly dispatched in the same way.

After moving through the compound, which was reminiscent of an Alderaanian princely abode for a minute or two, the dark side adept spun his lightsaber with extreme dexterity as three suitors rose to protect the Alde lady they were attempting to court. Dark shocked them all to death before jumping to the lady. She shouted in fear. "No, please! I beg-" she pleaded as her life and her sentence were cut short by the skilled assassin.

As Dark continued his murderous spree through the compound, the Alde family was quickly losing members and the Organas quickly losing allies. The insurrections funded by the Aldes would be crushed by this action, and the Organas forced into submission. He reached the final chamber, in which the matriarch and patriarch of the Alde family resided. They quickly surrendered and began to bargain.

"Please, butcher," the lord asked. "I'm willing to pay you whatever you would be paid for the lives of me and my wife." His hands were in the air, an obvious attempt to save his life. Dark did not oblige his request. The wife begged in a different way.

"I beg of you," she pleaded. "My husband made all the decisions. He's dead now; I had no love for him, nor loyalty to him. I am willing to give you whatever you want. Money, power, or something... more personal. Anything, and I mean it." As she said that, she ran her fingers down her body lightly in an attempt at sensuality. Dark smirked at her offer, as sure of his skills as a womanizer as he was. Regardless of her pleas, and regardless of what beauty she may have possessed, he was on a mission, and so he extended his hand and shot out a volley of lightning bolts that shocked her until she died a terrible and agony-shrouded death.

He exited the compound with his cloak around his body once more. The gutless guards had fled once they realized their objective was failed. He returned to the city of Bestine, where the suns began to drift low in the sky, and the normally blue hue of the atmosphere turned to a deep red-violet.

He reentered the Intelligence compound. The Inquisitor Raolis Unthor exclaimed at his return. "The scum of House Alde is dead! I knew to trust in the capabilities of the Shadow Guard!"

Dark ignored the man, preferring to step immediately over to the Moff, whom he latched onto tenderly by her hip without a word, and walked with into her quarters. Moff Zalander's silent face met Dark's visor with a flirtatious smile, and with her hand on his lower back, they took step by step until out of the Inquisitor's sight, leaving Unthor to marinate in his surprise, and to take care of the paperwork.

Within Zalander's chambers, the pair entered, Dark's right hand softly massaging the Moff's right hip and bottom. The two strong silents began to run their hands sensually over each other's bodies, staring into each other's eyes. Dark removed his helmet to reveal not much more due to the wrappings he wore around his face, the comlink within the ceremonial helm going off with Hydra's constant scoldings about returning to Imperial Center, followed by constant reminder from the Shadow Guard commander, Krayt, that Dark did not answer to Hydra; henceforth, the Shadow Guard could do whatever he wanted. He set the helmet down on the Moff's desk with the visor facing the wall. Imperial Center could see nothing, but hear everything.

Lying down on the bed, the couple, now kissing passionately, began to enter their positions and strip one another of their uniforms. The Moff spread her smooth, bare legs and allowed Dark to place himself gently between them, his hands holding her hands down on the bed with his fingers intertwined with hers. Her moans did not escape the room, except through the comlink within Dark's helmet.

After some time, the couple reemerged, redressed and proper, holding hands and smiling. Dark was only nineteen, however, the thought of being with an woman seven to nine years older was not a concept he took issue with. The Inqusitor Raolis started once again. "My Shadow friend, I trust the Inquisitorius will take great care in your reward for your hand in this case." Once again, the couple ignored him. Moff Zalander looked into Dark's red visor that served to contrast the black armor he wore, holding both of his hands and gyrating her hips and shoulders back and forth in both a flirtatious and satisfied manner.

The sun had set and it was high time for Dark to depart back to Imperial Center. The Moff touched his thigh one last time, and allowed him to touch her bottom with his right hand and feel her right breast with his left, while running her nose up his helmet, sensually nuzzling her one-hour lover. He let go of her hands and began to make his way through the sun-stained city of Bestine back to the spaceport.

This time, he encountered an unexpected guest. The Twi'lek soldier from before. Turns out, duty called her back to Imperial Center where Dark was headed. Without a word, he gestured to her with a hand on the lower hip on the far side of her body, not allowing her the chance to bow, that he could take her back to Coruscant on his personal corvette. The Twi'lek blushed, the red mixing with the green of her skin in an attractive manner. She agreed, and scratched her temple shyly as the pair stepped to the Dagger-class corvette. The Twi'lek was friendly, and so he didn't mind accommodating her for the flight back to Imperial Center. After all, he did need some in-flight entertainment.


	2. The New Briefing

The Twi'lek soldier lied naked next to Dark, who was remarkably more dressed than his partner. She cuddled with him, exhausted from the repeated love-making that occurred during the hyperspace trip, just prior to this moment. It was moments like these that filled Dark with a great sense of metaphysical awareness that others achieved from interactions with other sentients, which Dark never really had the chance to engage in. He did not speak, and so did not have such interactions with other beings frequently, and made up for that through physical means, chiefly, sex.

As they docked on Imperial Center, the pair 'said' their farewells. Dark ran his palm into her trousers and his fingers across her very private areas. She smiled at him as he departed, onward to the Imperial Center branch of the Inquisitorius. Onward to meet Hydra for a new mission.

On his walk there, he took the atmosphere of his home in. The upper levels were populated by the wealthy and Imperial troops. If not, they were off-world nobles visiting Coruscant on negotiatory business with the Empire. The bank was particularly busy today, many sentients, primarily humans, bustling noisily about the platforms that topped the world-city.

A pair of Rodians made their quiet, shy way through the upper levels, their green skin standing out among the human skin colors. The couple received looks of disgust, disapproval, distrust, from the others who made their way past. Dark observed this silently from behind his visor, disgusted himself, by the attitudes of the Imperial humans towards aliens.

The presence of the headquarters of the Inquisitorius was intimidating and commanding; it was built from the remains of the Jedi Temple after Order 66. The Imperial cog was displayed on massive banners that hung from the walls of the imposing tower. The entrance was guarded by two Royal Guards, their red cloaks with black visors the negative image of Dark's own black cloak with red visor. They greeted him with a bow as he took his steps into the Inquisitorius HQ.

Dark made his way to the briefing room where two Stormtroopers stood, they knelt as he entered the room and took a seat at a rectangular table. Hydra sat at the opposite end of the table, and Krayt sat in the seat adjacent to her. There was a second Inquisitor, a female, of unknown identity but high rank if her clothing were any indication of her status. The room had the Imperial crest displayed on banners around it, and the cleanliness of the room was a symbol of the Empire's efficiency.

Hydra spoke first. "Dark, your next mission is of grave importance. There is much conspiring among the nobles of many worlds to spark a rebellion against the Empire. Darth Vader awaits, here, to deliver your orders, straight from the Emperor. We're going to go meet him. Now."

Krayt rolled his eyes at the High Inquisitor's orders. The tall, muscular, Force adept was the only one save for the Emperor whose word was law to the Shadow Guards, and so the leader knew that unless he sounded his opinion, Dark wouldn't have to follow any of Hydra's attitude-laced commands. Krayt, regardless, knew that Dark would not protest, and so he got up shortly after Hydra rose to her feet and followed the High Inquisitor through the Inquisitorius headquarters to Darth Vader's chambers within the towering Citadel.

As Hydra took her steps from the door, Krayt and the second Inquisitor followed, as did Dark. As they made their simple way to Darth Vader's chambers, Dark's eyes slowly gravitated towards Hydra's rear end. Her disciplined stance did not affect the swing in her hips that Dark so greatly appreciated. As a high-ranking Inquisitor, Hydra donned robes that flaunted her immense wealth, her Imperial status, and her pleasant assets. Of course, Krayt noticed Dark's particular attention to Hydra's bottom, more out of knowledge of Dark's own behavior than knowledge of the current situation.

"She's old enough to be your mother, kid," Krayt said with a chuckle to his much younger companion.

The second Inquisitor laughed at the statement. Her dark hair drifted gently over her forehead; the rest of it was in a high ponytail that extended gracefully down her back, over her bottom, nearly to her thighs. It was interesting to see anyone with hair so long, but that caught Dark's attention for but a few moments. Her face bore some signs of the dark side: her eyes had sunk, the veins around them making blue images on the skin above them. Despite this, she still took some time to dress her face in minor cosmetics; her lips were clad in black lipstick and her eyelids were donned with dark eyeliner. Her ears were adorned with intricate earrings that hung from her earlobes. "Give him a break, he's taking advantage of the one thing she's good for: eye candy!"

The group had reached Vader's chambers by this time, but the High Inquisitor Hydra was not impressed by this obvious humor. "You," she said crossly to the long-haired Inquisitor. "Shut up." She then turned to the young Shadow Guard and chastised him. "Dark, quit staring at my ass and pay attention for long enough to receive your orders from Lord Vader so that you make no mistakes. I will not be punished for your failure."

Krayt followed the High Inquisitor into Vader's chambers after replying to Hydra's scoldings in place of Dark. "The Shadow Guard does not fail." Dark's eyes met with those of the second Inquisitor, who smiled and with her hands made a gesture that bade Dark go before her. He smiled back underneath his helm and obliged her request. She fell into step behind him, smirking as she looked up and down his figure as he had done to her as she stood back in the briefing room.

The Sith Lord Darth Vader stood in his chambers facing away from the door. It was unknown what he was doing prior to the entrance of the small fellowship that he would be facing such a way, but it was not their place to question the Dark Lord of the Sith. He did not turn around when he asked his first question. "Which of you is the agent I requested?"

Dark stepped forward without a word, for he was not permitted to speak.

"You are to bring these dissidents to light, and then you are to destroy them. These are not mere planetary resistance, these are influential politicians that can spark a rebellion with the flick of a wrist," Darth Vader explained. He remained facing away from Dark and his companions, his breathing apparatus drawing air and hissing as it released it.

Dark nodded. Hydra knew this meeting was at its end and bowed deeply before the Sith Lord. She awaited the mirrored movements on the part of the three other members of the small party. Dark bowed second, almost making his torso perpendicular to his lower body. The second Inquisitor and Krayt bowed simultaneously, and then the group departed.

The two Royal Guards posted outside Vader's office knelt as the group stepped through the office entrance. The meeting was short, and not much had changed since the group entered; the lesser Inquisitors and Imperial troops went about their business as usual.

The pointless briefing was telling; it let Dark know that Darth Vader had no means to his desired end and left it completely to the Inquisitorius to develop a plan and execute it. Such disapproving thoughts were dangerous and considered borderline traitorous, but Dark did not care. He had been trained to resist mental infiltrators, and for reasons known only silently to him, he could even resist if Darth Vader attempted to read his mind.

Krayt was the first to speak up after the return to the briefing room. He addressed Hydra with a sense of humor laced with care in his tone. "You ought to send the cute one with Dark. He could use the company," he said. At that, the younger Inquisitor smiled and blushed, playing with her hair and moving her leg back and forth shyly.

Hydra rolled her eyes in a mixture of disgust and amusement. "Dark does not need a cheerleader. Laela's abilities are needed here," she replied, with a hiss on her tongue.

"I don't know, Hydra," Krayt chuckled. "Dark needs some entertainment on those long trips through hyperspace, with nothing to do but-"

"Silence," Hydra interrupted. "Dark, you need to leave Imperial Center immediately. We will contact you with your first op's details when you arrive on Naboo."

"Naboo?" Krayt laughed. "What, are you sending him on vacation?" Naboo was not quite the place that many thought of as the place of work. Krayt secretly also knew that Dark would be able to have his fun on the planet, for the art was pleasant, the food was good, and the girls were sweet. Krayt figured Dark could find a lover in the daughter of some relative of the Queen. In fact, he would not be surprised if the young Shadow Guard managed to seduce the Queen herself.

Dark smiled at the thought of Naboo. He went there nearly two years ago, when he first began his tenure as one of the most reliable Shadow Guards in their ranks. He took a young noblewoman to bed when he was last there, and only barely managed to escape detection by the girl's father. He remembered the beautiful scenery outside of Theed as he sat, holding hands, with his short-term lover on the beach. Guard Command did not mind, as his objective was to investigate dissidents within the princely house from which the girl originated.

Krayt quickly calmed his laughter and sent the young Shadow Guard on his way. "You better get going, lest the one with a rod up her ass will get mad."

Dark bowed and was on his way, with the intent of sparing himself Hydra's noise as she yelled at Krayt for his snide remarks concerning her attitude. Little did she know by shouting at him she was only proving his point.

A short trip to the spaceport proved uneventful as the agent entered his personal corvette. He told his droid crew to plot course for Naboo, and so they did. It would be a short ride, but he had no one to accompany him, and so he sat, bored, his helm sitting next to him and his armor removed to ensure his comfortability.


End file.
